When You Meet 'Em, Everyone's a Fool

Part II: My Response to Luke

Ah, law. The world of the disclaimer.

I completely agree with the sentiment about a bit too much introversion being a bad thing. I've noticed that spending a bit too much time in my own world with my head in a book/watching sports/etc. has become an issue since I started law school. I attribute a lot of that to the fact that I've told myself that I made the best friends that I could hope for at ACU (yourself included) and that I would decide to spend my friendship capital on the friends I already had rather than expanding those friendships on a deep level to people in law school. I still feel good about that decision, but I have noticed that I find myself content on a Friday night to sit and read or watch a movie rather than trying to seek out other activities. That's also probably a function of the fact that I feel as though I'm in this transition period before Amanda and I get married and that I know I won't probably spend my free-time in the same way once we get hitched, and that's almost certainly a very good thing.

With all of that said, I know that I need to seek out these opportunities with people to really share myself and make connections, because in the end, that's all we really have in this world. Sounds cliched, but it's true. Most clichés are, I guess.

JTS

Every Moral Has a Story, Every Story Has an End

Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "Wake Up" by the Arcade Fire as the Thursday Song of the Day.

Speaking of Mr. Tuegel, Andrew also passed along to me earlier today the following headline regarding our alma mater:

"NCAA Hits ACU for Track & Field, Football Violations"

When you go to a Division II school, the best you can really hope for in the athletics department is:

1. To constantly annoy people when the one guy from your school in the NFL (Danieal Manning of the Chicago Bears) does anything remotely noteworthy; and
2. Try to avoid scandals and NCAA violations, because as Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson taught us in Wedding Crashers, "You want to draw attention to yourself but in a good way."

You can read the full article here, but the following portion of the article absolutely blew my mind:

The NCAA cited the program with numerous violations, including ACU men’s and women’s track coaches and athletic boosters providing illegal benefits to student-athletes during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 academic years.

During the Christmas holidays in 2006 and 2007, Hillcrest Church of Christ held parties for some of the international students at the home of an ACU assistant track coach. During those parties, 15 ACU track athletes were given gifts, including small appliances, DVDs, CDs, food items, personal items and cash donated by the church.

Before those parties, another assistant had asked the head track coach for a list of international athletes who would be in Abilene during the holidays. Also, the NCAA said the head coach attended the parties and was aware of the gifts received by the athletes.

The NCAA did not name the head coach, but Hood has been in the position since Aug. 24, 2005.

According to the NCAA, Hood said “he did not realize the gifts would be considered extra benefits,” and he went on to add that the church members who provided the items “were acting out of a desire to assist people who were far away from their homes and families for the holidays, not to assist the athletic program.”

Thanks, NCAA.

You've really outdone yourself this time.

I'm not so sure that international students being forced to spend the holidays away from their loved ones in a foreign country and receiving gifts from members of a local church is quite the same thing as former Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar getting a cushy job at a Norman car dealership, but then again, what do I know?

That's Alright, I Was Desparate Too, I'm Getting Pretty Sick of This Interview

Congratulations to Mr. Joseph R. Halbert for correctly naming "D'You Know What I Mean?" from the Oasis album Be Here Now as the Wednesday Song of the Day.

Just watch how Liam stands there singing with his hands in front pockets of his coat. I remember how one of my first professors at ACU, this fine gentleman, would lecture for almost an entire class period with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sport-coat.
Despite Dr. Hamilton's undeniable brilliance, it just wasn't quite as cool as a Gallagher brother belting out a rock anthem surrounded by helicopters, girls, and flares. Close, though.

Sailing Like a Silver Bullet, Hit 'Em 'Tween the Eyes

It's always a good day when your alma mater makes Deadspin and the words "scantily-clad", "drunk", "racist", "indiscretion", or "regret" are not utilized.

Assuming that the band plays the school fight song following every touchdown, this tuba player most likely fell over dead around about the middle of the third quarter on Saturday. It was Abilene Christian vs. West Texas A&M in the second round of the NCAA Div. II football playoffs, with Abilene pulling out the victory, 93-68. Yes, a college football team surpassed Oklahoma's point total on Saturday, and still lost by 25. Jumpin' Jehoshaphat.

Fun fact: Abilene Christian's men's basketball team played host to Huston Tillotson that evening and could not outscore the football team, losing 92-90.

"So Abilene Christian Scored a Few Points on Saturday" by Deadspin's Rick Chandler.

Don't Want to Discuss It, I Think It's Time For a Change

Congratulations to Mrs. Katrina Kincaid for correctly naming "A Pirate Looks at Forty" by Jimmy Buffett as the Friday Song of the Day.

Here's the bad news: ACU gave up 68 points this afternoon to West Texas A&M in Round 2 of the Division II playoffs.

Here's the good news: ACU still won by 25 points.

That's right, the Wildcats scored an NCAA-playoff record 93, yes, 93 points this afternoon after rolling up 810 yards of offense. (Cousin) Bernard Scott scored an NCAA playoff-record 7 touchdowns in the victory.

Not a bad day for the old alma mater.

Come On, What Does This Remind You Of?

Congratulations to Mr. Jeremy Masten for correctly naming "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse as the Sunday Song of the Day.

Since it appears that no one who reads this blog can tell me about "Agricultural Leadership/Leading Agriculture", I have been forced to move our discussion to other topics.

First, a hearty Running Down a Dream congratulations to Mr. Trey Watten on being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 7th Round of the First-Year Players Draft. In addition to his status as a dominating pitcher for my alma mater, Trey is also a proud member of Gamma Sigma Phi, and I think I speak for all past and current Gamma Sigs and Wildcats in wishing Trey the best of luck trying to make it to "The Show".

Second, the New York Times has a fantastic story today on the highs and lows of cuisine at all 30 major league stadiums. At the Ballpark, they give high marks to the prime rib buffet in the Diamond Club, which I'm sure that everyone frequents during their trips to see the Rangers battle, and low marks to "the pretzel dog". In the provided photo, the pretzel dog looks like a giant kolache, which, as anyone who has been through West, Texas, can tell you, is a great feat of culinary invention. In my opinion, they left out the best part of the Ballpark's menu, the garlic fries at numerous locations throughout the park, which are as enjoyable to eat as they are horrendous to smell.

At Minute Maid Park, the reviewers loved the fajitas from Rosa's Taqueria and loathed the superstar dog with cheese from Union Station. In a story that will shock absolutely no one, I had the superstar dog with cheese during my visit to the Juice Box a few weeks ago, and let me tell you, it may have tasted like a used Goodyear, but there is something fundamentally askew with someone that does not enjoy a frankfurter during a viewing of America's Pasttime.

I Keep Forgetting the Smell of the Warm Summer Air

As a single, male graduate of ACU in my early to mid-20's*, I found this blog post from Dr. Richard Florida**(author of The Rise of the Creative Class , The Flight of the Creative Class, and Who's Your City?) fascinating.

Which of these two decisions do you think has a bigger impact on someone's life: finding the right job, or finding the right significant other? No one's going to argue with the notion that where you live affects your employment prospects. But the place you call home has a lot to do with your chances of finding the right partner as well. Having an enticing "mating market" matters as much or more than a vibrant labor market.

It's not just that some places have more singles than others. If you're a single man or a single woman the odds of meeting that special someone vary dramatically across the country.

Taking a quick glance at that map leads me to ask some questions:

• What is happening to all of the single women in Texas?
  
• Are single women in the Dallas area pretending they're married to Tony Romo and skewing the reported data?
  
• Why do Dallas, Houston, and Austin have almost the same ratio of single men to single women as the island in Lord of the Flies?
• Are single women afraid to cross the Mississippi River or are they all flocking to New York City for their quixotic shot at becoming the next Carrie Bradshaw?***
  

*Yes, we do exist.
**That's his real name no matter how much it sound's like Michael Vick's alter ego "Ron Mexico".
***I've never seen the show. That's a promise you can take to the bank, buster.

Someday, Everything is Gonna Sound Like a Rhapsody

As a follow-up to Tuesday's post on ACU's new iPhone/iPod Touch program, I thought I would bring together a few different voices from the interwebs on the topic:

• The Optimist: "Freshmen to Receive iPhone/iPod Touch"
• The Engadget Blog: "ACU Dishing Out iPhone/iPod Touch to All Incoming Freshmen". Also, please check out that comment section for a healthy dose of bigotry, speculation, and cynicism.
• Technovelgy: "iPhones for Freshmen at ACU"
• Innovation in College Media: "ACU and the iPhone: A Challenge for College Media". All the JMC readers of Running Down a Dream will note the Cade White shoutout in this article.
• Apple Links: "ACU to Give iPhone or iPod Touch to All Incoming Freshmen"
• streetinsider.com: "ACU to Pioneer New Learning Strategies Using Apple iPhone/iPod Touch"

Finally, the videos that started the phenomenon can be found here:

"Connected" Part 1: Social Uses

"Connected" Part 2: Academic Uses

Also, here's a video featuring ACU professor Dr. Bill Rankin and Director of Public Relations Lynne Bruton explaining the concept behind the videos:

Wondering What We Might Have Been

Note: This story was shamelessly stolen from the Blahg.

An Apple iPhone or iPod Touch will become a central part of Abilene Christian University's innovative learning experience this fall when all freshmen are provided one of these converged media devices, said Phil Schubert, ACU executive vice president.

At ACU - the first university in the nation to provide these cutting-edge media devices to its incoming class - freshmen will use the iPhones or iPod Touches to receive homework alerts, answer in-class surveys and quizzes, get directions to their professors' offices, and check their meal and account balances - among more than 15 other useful web applications already developed, said ACU Chief Information Officer Kevin Roberts.

"ACU First University in Nation to Provide iPhone or iPod Touch to all Incoming Freshmen"

So, if I burn my diploma and move back into Mabee Hall, does that mean you'll give me a phone?

Where'd You Park the Car?

At the beginning of the post, I should take the time to apologize to those of you who live outside of the "bubble" and have no idea what I am talking about when I say the words "Sing Song." In fact, I apologize because if I took the time to actually explain it to you in sufficient detail, you probably still would not be interested in the subject matter and I would have deprived you of a small portion of your life, which is ebbing away right now...tick, tick, tick.

If you're still reading, and I have no idea why you would be after that stirring exposition, here is my $.02 on Sing Song 2008.

Of course, everyone left Moody on Saturday night talking about how the 6-time reigning champions had been dethroned in both the men's and women's divisions by the Kojie Bumblebess and the evil empire's train conductors, but as someone whose time in Sing Song is past, I'll tell you this: It's almost more difficult to watch as a spectator, than it was to be involved as a competitor/participant (sure, I could use the more gentle, affirming term "participant" solely, but in anything that involved a contest with the moonies, it was nothing if not a competition).

Sure, my time standing on the stage is gone, and that's a good thing, but a small part of me still hurts for the guys in club that had to be there when the dream died. Those that I talked to on Saturday night kept saying that the streak had to end sometime, but you never want to be part of the group responsible for such an event. Despite the fact that ACU has the 4th-highest total number of NCAA Championships behind UCLA, USC, and Stanford, the largest bragging rights on the Hill each year belong to those who win the big event in February.

From Huck Finn to the Beatles to Top Gun to John Travolta to Frogs who turn into Princes to Firemen, that group for the past 6 years was the men of Gamma Sigma Phi. Now, that title has been passed (albeit unwillingly) to our bitter archrivals, the evil empire. Wherever you are to read this, take a little time to hum a few bars of "We Believe" in remembrance of a fairly remarkable streak.

Dedicated to All You, All Human Beings

It's that time of the year once again.

Time for a member of the Chicago Cubs to make a recklessly bold World Series victory prediction? No, although that did happen. Thanks, Ryan Dempster.

Instead, it is time to travel to the Key City for the phenomenon known as Sing Song. Here's a post from February of 2006 with full photographic evidence of the event that was "The Frog Show". (Warning: The mustache I'm wearing in those photos may be unsuitable for discerning [read as: reasonable] persons).
You can find the pre and post-show entries from last year's show here and here.

For a more focused, and much less biased, view on ACU's largest annual event (I'm looking at you, Lectureship), I'm turning things over to my friend, Sarah Carlson, whose Sing Song piece ran in Wednesday's edition of the Abilene Reporter-News.

Besides Sarah's excellent writing, another highly enjoyable portion of that article is the GSP-galaxy feud breaking out in the comments section. My favorite comment by far is from "TC Hunter 21" who writes: "Personally I think 7 is pretty small, 25 thats an actual accomplishment...lets wait and see what happens."

If that's not a former/current moonie sounding a little bit too much like a Yankees fan taunting a Red Sox supporter by stating that the Boston club's 7 titles are nice, but it's small fries compared to the Yanks' 26 World Series championships, I don't know what is.
Everyone who is headed out to Abilene, be sure to travel safely, and I hope to see some of you there.

I Wish I Was a Messenger and All the News Was Good

I've always made fun of my buddy Mason Orr for wearing the "Michael Bluth" outfit* of khakis and a navy blazer to GSP Formal events while I was at ACU, but Mason might also be able to break out the "Michael Bluth" costume at a future premiere of an Arrested Development film.

This just might be the best news we Arrested fans have heard in a very long time.
Jason Bateman has just confirmed to me that the creative minds behind Arrested Development (Mitch Hurwitz and Ron Howard) have put the wheels in motion toward a major motion picture of the Fox TV comedy so many of us adore. I'm told by insiders that Jason and other Bluth family members have received calls from producers (Hurwitz and Howard) asking if they would be willing to shoot a movie.

"I can confirm that a round of sniffing has started," Bateman says. "Any talk is targeting a poststrike situation, of course. I think, as always, that it's a question of whether the people with the money are willing to give our leader, Mitch Hurwitz, what he deserves for his participation. And I can speak for the cast when I say our fingers are crossed."

"Exclusive! Jason Bateman Confirms Arrested Development Movie Talks" by Kristin Dos Santos (no relation to FC Barcelona star Giovani Dos Santos)

*Editor's Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I have been known to choose the "Michael Bluth" outfit from time to time, especially last summer at my internship. Let's be honest here: It's a standard outfit for American males who have to adhere to a business professional wardrobe at one point or another. Also, Peyton Manning was seen rocking the "Michael Bluth", or as I sometimes also call it, the "Yacht Captain", at Super Bowl XLII. Whether you choose to call it the "Michael Bluth" or the "Yacht Captain", it's really the same thing.

Saturday Night in East Berlin

If the words "Abilene Christian University", "Gamma Sigma Phi", "Sing Song", "The Windmill", "Demetrius Collins", "Luke Reeves', "Clark Packer", or "Ryan Mack" mean anything to you, please watch the following video:

Where Amazing Happens.

This is the Greatest and Best Song in the World

During my junior year at ACU, I had the opportunity to attend a conference at Pepperdine Law School and hear Professor Doug Kmiec speak on the relationship between lawyers, faith, and social justice.
Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Professor Kmiec's lecture in 2005, he didn't say anything quite as interesting as suggesting that a Hillary Clinton presidency could possibly see Bill joining the U.S. Supreme Court, as he does in today's Wall Street Journal.

Note: Any and all references to my 2005 journey to Pepperdine should never be confused with the greatness that was the 2006 "Bike to Ride Pepperdine", which you can fondly remember through the following posts.

• The send-off photos courtesy of William Austin Riggs.
• Hanging out with Elvis in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. At least I think that was Elvis.
• Enjoying victory cigars and purchasing knock-off N.W.A. shirts.
• Visiting Jimmy Kimmel, Homer Simpson, and Chinatown.
• Wreaking havoc at the USC bookstore, being refused entrance to the Rose Bowl, and greeting O.J. and The Duke.
• Riding bikes, more riding bikes, and enjoying Paradise.

Me and All My Friends, We're All Misunderstood

Congratulations to Mr. John Middleton for correctly naming "Wonderwall" by Oasis as the Tuesday Song of the Day. Mr. Masten, your somewhat specious "my computer won't load the photos" excuse has been noted and disregarded. I'm sorry, but it's a cruel, cruel world in the Song of the Day contest.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Running Down a Dream enthusiasts of all ages and literacy levels, it is my distinct pleasure to announce the arrival of a new blog to the information superhighway: The Jig and Twig, primarily authored by the two gentlemen (Lance Agan and Jacob Wardell) to my left in the following photo.

The picture obviously makes it appear that Mr. Wardell is the "Teller" character of the arrangement and Mr. Agan is "Penn", but appearances can be deceiving.

Another deceiving facet of that photo is that it did not actually snow in Abilene on the day we graduated from ACU. That's obviously the aftermath of a Blahg promotional stunt gone horribly wrong. Luke, I always told you that no one wanted the shredded Enron documents as a graduation gift.

We're Rising With Every Breath

Congratulations are once again in order for Mr. John Middleton after he correctly named "For the Longest Time" by Billy Joel as the Sunday Song of the Day.

While A&M fans are caught up in the excitement of a new head coach, the Key City is still trying to come to grips with a meltdown of colossal proportions. That's right, my friends, my beloved alma mater, Abilene Christian University, lost in the second round of the Division II football playoffs to Chadron State (Nebraska) by the astronomical score of 76-73 in 3 overtimes.

As if that final score was not amazing enough, at one point in the 4th quarter, the Wildcats led by the score of 49-20, and somehow the game slipped out of our still turkey-greased hands. My long-lost cousin, Bernard Scott, led the Wildcats with 303 yards rushing, 80 yards receiving, and 5 combined touchdowns, but unfortunately, it was all for not.

Oh well, at least ACU will always have those track championships to fall back on. Thank you, Nicodemus Naimadu.

It Seems Farther Than Ever Before

Is this what it feels like to be old, out of touch, and in the dark? A few weeks ago my sister mentioned that I should watch a YouTube video portraying my alma mater's President doing the "Soulja Boy" dance.

Shockingly enough, my first thought was not "Dr. Money dancing?!?" but was instead "What in the name of all that is good and holy is Soulja Boy?" Apparently due to the fact that I currently live in the midst of the sensory blackout that is Baylor Law School I have missed out on what will eventually be remembered as the hip-hop answer to the "Macarena".

Thanks to the recent breakthrough on this thing called "The Internet" (thanks Al Gore!), I began to do some research on this phenomenon that is passing into irrelevancy faster than the "Cavemen" series on ABC.

Here's what I have determined at this point: The man behind the Soulja Boy furor, is appropriately named "Soulja Boy Tell 'Em" and has been derided by critics as the "Nickelback" of hip-hop music. With lyrics like "Soulja Boy up in this hoe,Watch Me Crank It,Watch Me Roll, Watch Me Crank Dat Soulja Boy", no one is going to be comparing him to Thomas Pynchon anytime in the near future.

In Mr. Tell 'Em's defense I should say that he is only 17. Six long years ago at 17, I was trying to learn how to drive a standard transmission car, navigating my way through high school economics, and hitting on cheerleaders, so perhaps I'm not in the best position to be calling people out for not reaching the highest levels of achievement.

Despite the fact that more college students can probably do the "Soulja Boy" dance at this point than can tell you who Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto are, the United States seems to be headed in a good direction. Well, if by good direction I mean the path that the Exxon Valdez took through Prince William Sound. Pop culture, it's fannnnnnnnntastic!

I Will Sing to You of Greater Things

A photo essay of my recent trip to the self-proclaimed "Greatest Homecoming on Earth".

Enjoy:

This is what the ACU Homecoming Parade consists of in large part. The Subbers ride in a van with industrial strength shocks that is also comically painted as a shark. Comedy ensues.

The baby in the foreground of the photo was taken by one of the Subbers who claimed to have acted in a rash manner due to "scurvy". Since there's not a large body of water for hundreds of miles around Abilene, it seems that the ACU Geography Department needs to establish a remedial program on how one goes about contracting scurvy.

galaxy's float. My mother told that if I can't say anything nice, I probably shouldn't say anything at all. Thanks Mom.

The man, the myth, the legend: Jacob "Jig" Wardell taking in the festivities. In case you're wondering, he asked me to take this shot.

Brandon, Amber, Garrett, Nate, Jake, and Lance complete the Abbey Road tribute shot near Taylor Elementary.

• Yours truly, Luke Reeves, Nikki Walker, and Emily (Cooke) Wardell (along with numerous others) take in a fine meal on Saturday night at Abuelo's.
  
  The floats were supposed to center around a "circus" theme, so I'm not sure how the Kojie float applies. Well, unless we're going with the clown car stereotype.
  The GSP float. As you can tell, the "lion cage" was not made of the most durable materials and was destroyed by a rogue tree along the parade route.
  The Frats float was simply a tractor. I don't even need a joke here.
  
  

P.S. For a more extensive selection of photos from Homecoming and the Maenius/Glaeser wedding, you can go here.